Lambton Kent Middlesex bucked it’s bellwether tradition!

Ontario Votes: Southwestern Ontario: Liberal big guns fall

Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, meanwhile, bucked its long traditional as an ideal provincial election bellwether. Over Ontario’s previous 39 elections, back to 1867, it elected a representative who was with the party that also won the election 33 times. Since 1929 its record has been 100% — until Thursday night.

Monte McNaughton of the PCs outdrew Liberal incumbent Maria Van Bommel by more than 4,500 votes.

Despite the Liberal victory, some of Dalton McGuinty’s top guns from the Southwestern region were blown away by anti-wind turbine activists in Thursday’s vote.

Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, looked set to fall in Huron-Bruce to Tory challenger Lisa Thompson, who was ahead by more than 4,000 votes in late counting.

John Wilkinson, Minister of the Environment, was trailing by 600 votes to Randy Pettapiece, his Progressive Conservative challenger, in Perth-Wellington.

Both ministers were targeted by noisy activists opposed to mass turbine farms in the area. Several regional PCs candidates drew support by promising to oppose new developments.

With results coming in more slowly in Kitchener Centre, John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges & Universities, was ahead of Tory Dave MacDonald by only 200 votes.

Other ministers were set to make it back to Queen’s Park and likely Mr. McGuinty’s cabinet table.

Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance, rebuffed a strong challenge in Windsor-Tecumseh from the New Democratic Party’s Andrew McAvoy, creeping ahead by almost 3,000 votes late in the counting.

Despite the strong organized labour presence in the area with the auto sector, the Liberals were buoyed by late endorsements by major union leaders.

Chris Bentley, the Attorney General, had little trouble retaining his seat in London West, exceeding the Conservative’s Ali Chahbar by more than 7,400 votes.

And what was predicted to be a close race for Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long-Term Care, in London North Centre failed to materialize. After an early burst from advance polls, the PC’s Nancy Branscombe fell behind by more than 5,700 votes.

There were seven of the 27-member Cabinet at the time of the election call from this region, not an insignificant contingent. One, Sandra Pupatello in Windsor-West, who was the Minister of Economic Development & Trade was not running this election.

The Liberals managed to retain her seat, however.

The fragility of the area was shown by Mr. McGuinty starting off his last day of campaigning in Windsor.

Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, meanwhile, bucked its long traditional as an ideal provincial election bellwether. Over Ontario’s previous 39 elections, back to 1867, it elected a representative who was with the party that also won the election 33 times. Since 1929 its record has been 100% — until Thursday night.

Monte McNaughton of the PCs outdrew Liberal incumbent Maria Van Bommel by more than 4,500 votes.

In three Windsor-area ridings where the Liberal incumbents were not running, the party lost two; one each to the PCs and the NDP. Rick Nicholls, PC, took Chatham-Kent-Essex; Taras Natyshak, NDP, took Essex; and Liberal Teresa Piruzza beat strong challenges from the NDP’s Helmi Charif and Tory Todd Branch in Windsor West.

The other unoccupied former Liberal seat in the region, Elgin-Middlesex-London, was also picked by the PCs, with Jeff Yurek handily defeating Lori Baldwin-Sands by some 7,000 votes.

Two fringe party leaders flamed out spectacularly in the region.

John Turmel, leader of the Pauper Party — who holds the Guinness Book of Records’ title for most elections contested and most elections lost — added to his successful losing streak in Brant. Paul McKeever, leader of the Freedom Party fell in Elgin-Middlesex-London.